LOS ANGELES – Rubby De La Rosa was in the Dodgers’ clubhouse for all the wrong reasons Sunday.

De La Rosa, who pitched two innings a day earlier in a rehabilitation assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, complained of pain in his groin “on a couple pitches” while he was warming up to pitch the third inning and was pulled from the game.

“Before there was a little bit” of pain in the same area, De La Rosa said, “but not like yesterday.”

Still, the injury is not considered serious and the Dodgers did not order an MRI. De La Rosa said his right elbow is fine, which is the team’s main concern after the pitcher underwent Tommy John surgery almost exactly one year ago (August 9).

“I don’t really think it sets him back to a point where it takes him off schedule – maybe a day or two,” said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly.

In two scoreless appearances for Rancho Cucamonga spanning five innings, De La Rosa has allowed two hits, walked two and struck out seven. He is considered day-to-day and his next outing hasn’t been scheduled.

“My velocity right now, it’s the same as before,” said De La Rosa, who relies on a high-90s fastball. “I need more control, that’s it.”

With Ted Lilly’s return to the Dodgers rotation jeopardized by a recurrence of pain in his left (throwing) shoulder, a healthy De La Rosa could be an important asset in September or October. But Mattingly isn’t counting on it.

“Rubby was going to be a bonus,” Mattingly said. “Rubby’s not coming off a tender elbow, he’s coming off a major surgery. This is not a guy that you can just pencil in and say, `He’s going to be back then and he’s going to be fine.’

“To sit here and count on Rubby doesn’t make sense to me, but to say Rubby may be a part of something, his rehab will continue as we get into September – he could be a part of what’s going on. Depending on how that goes, it could even go farther than that.”

Also …

Infielder Adam Kennedy went 0 for 4 in a rehabilitation game for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. The Dodgers outrighted pitcher Michael Antonini to Triple-A Albuquerque. Antonini was pitching for Albuquerque when he was designated for assignment Tuesday. Brett Jackson, ranked as the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect by Baseball America, started in center field and batted second in his major-league debut after getting called up from Triple-A Iowa before the game. Jackson went 2 for 4 with a walk and a run. Chicago also recalled third-base prospect Josh Vitters, who debuted as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning and flied out. To make room for Jackson and Vitters, the Cubs optioned outfielder Tony Campana (2 for 9 against the Dodgers this year) to Iowa and traded Jeff Baker (0 for 3) to the Detroit Tigers for two players to be named later.